Perth Voice Interactive

Friends of Lightning Swamp president John Williams says Bayswater city council has “missed the mark” by not contributing to a proposed $6 million sustainability centre at the Noranda swamp.

He says the council doesn’t understand the “vision” for the centre and has failed to allocate a brass razoo in its 2013/14 budget for it.

“The community consultation undertaken by the council was all wrong, describing it as an interpretative centre—people didn’t get what it was,” he says.

“This would be a world-wide first for Australia—a regional hub for sustainability. To be honest, I think this project is beyond the capability of the council.”

In January, the council sent letters to 370 homes in Noranda asking for input on the planned eco-facility, but received just five responses.

Mr Williams says it would be a sustainable and technology environmental centre, including rooms for environmental community groups, an indoor permaculture room, a water wise vegetable garden, a school laboratory and a renewable energy room.

Mr Williams has progressed the project himself and enlisted the help of Curtin University and international sustainability groups.

Curtin will provide third year urban and regional planning students to help.

“Lightning Swamp is a unique A-class reserve and has bio-diversity with lots of fauna and flora,” Curtin’s Dr Shahed Khan says. “The challenge is to gracefully incorporate a world-class educational centre into a natural site.

“This project will provide a real-life case study for our students to work on and will also benefit FOLS.”

Bayswater-managed Lightning Swamp is an A-Class reserve and home to a diverse range of flora and fauna. At 71 hectares it’s the largest block of bushland in the city and is listed on the WA government’s Bush Forever register.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK